March 19, 2009 - See Notice NOT-RR-09-010 The purpose of this notice is to inform the biomedical and behavioral research community that a videocast will be conducted regarding the application process for this RFA.

NOTICE: Applications
submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal
assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and
the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

APPLICATIONS
MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This
FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with
this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply
for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

A
registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly
encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant
submission date. See Section IV.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)93.702

Key Dates
Release/Posted
Date: March 5, 2009
Opening Date: April 6, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to
Grants.gov) NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be
successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the
applicant institution/organization). Application Due Date(s): May 6, 2009 (projects between $2M and $5M); June 17, 2009
(projects between $10M and $15M), July 17, 2009 (projects between $5M and $10M)Peer
Review Date(s):June 2009 and October 2009Council Review
Date(s):October 2009 and January 2010Earliest Anticipated
Start Date(s):December 2009 and April 2010Additional
Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date):Not ApplicableExpiration Date: July 18, 2009

Due
Dates for E.O. 12372

Applicants
are required to comply with Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 as implemented by 45
CFR Part 100, Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human
Services Programs and Activities. E.O. 12372 sets up a system for state and local government review of proposed Federal
assistance applications. Applicants (other than federally recognized Indian
tribal governments) should contact their State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
as early as possible to alert them to the prospective
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the state process. For
proposed projects serving more than one state, the applicant is advised to
contact the SPOC of each affected state.

A
current list of SPOCs is located athttp://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. States without a SPOC do not participate
in this process. The SPOC must be given 60 days to review a construction grant
application. Applicants are to provide the SPOC with a copy of the application
not later than the time the application is submitted
to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH. Applications submitted to NIH
in response to this solicitation must contain either SPOC comments or
documentation indicating the date on which the application was submitted to the SPOC for review. The SPOC comment period ends 60
days after the application receipt date. The granting agency does not guarantee
to accommodate or explain state process recommendations it receives after that
date.

All
SPOC comments must be forwarded to both the applicant
and to the NCRR Program Official listed under INQUIRIES. If comments are
provided by the SPOC, the applicant may wish to submit to the NIH a response to
the comments and any appropriate changes in its application. If no response is received from the SPOC by the end of the 60 days allotted
for review of the application, the applicant must notify the NIH that no
response was received.

Additional
Overview Content

Executive Summary

Purpose.This FOA issued by the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health,
solicits applications from institutions that propose to expand, remodel,
renovate, or alter biomedical or behavioral research facilities. The major
objective of this FOA is to facilitate and enhance the conduct of Public Health Service-supported biomedical and
behavioral research by supporting the costs of improving non-Federal basic
research, clinical research, and animal facilities to meet the biomedical or
behavioral research, research training, or research
support needs of an institution. Since the funds for this FOA come from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act), Pub. L. No. 111-5, it is expected that all
awards will be expended expeditiously and that applicants will consider green/sustainable technologies and design
approaches. Awards are expected to create and/or maintain American jobs.

Mechanism of Support. This
FOA will utilize the C06 grant
mechanism.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards.The Recovery Act appropriated $1.0B for grants or contracts under
section 481A of the Public Health Service Act to construct, repair or renovate existing
non-Federal research facilities. Those funds will be allocated to awards under
this FOA and RFA-RR-09-007. In
addition, the Recovery Act appropriated $300M for shared instrumentation and
other capital research equipment. Those funds will be allocated to equipment
requested in this FOA, to equipment requested in the high end instrumentation
program PAR-09-118,
and to equipment requested in the shared instrument program
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-028.html).

Budget and Project Period Budgets for direct costs between $2M and $15M may be
requested. The total project period for an award made in response to this FOA
may not exceed five years.

Eligible Project Directors/Principal
Investigators (PDs/PIs). Individuals with the skills,
knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are
invited to work with their institution/organization to develop an application
for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well
as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH
support. The PD/PI must be a
highly placed institutional individual, who has responsibility for the allocation
of space for biomedical and behavioral research and research training (e.g.,
Dean, Provost, Center, or Institute Director).

Number of PDs/PIs. Only one PI may be designated on the application.

Number of Applications. An institution is defined as an organization with a separate IPF
code. Each institution is expected to submit no more than three applications
under this FOA. Each application must be distinct.
An institution is not limited to one submission per application date.

Resubmissions. Resubmission applications are not permitted in
response to this FOA.

Renewals.Renewal
applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.

The
Recovery Act appropriated $1.0B for grants or contracts under section 481A of
the Public Health Service Act to construct, repair or renovate existing
non-Federal research facilities. In addition, the Recovery Act appropriated
$300M for shared instrumentation and other capital research equipment. The availability of improved facilities and the next generation of
instruments will speed the translation of basic research to treatments and
cures. These purchases and improvements are expected to stimulate the economy
by creating and/or maintaining American jobs. Applications with little or no effect on American jobs are not
likely to be funded. Furthermore, in the interest of the
environment, it is expected that green/sustainable technologies and design
approaches will be employed when possible. When preparing an application, the impact of the improvements or the equipment on
the environment must be considered and described in the application.

Four related FOAs have been released in response to the Recovery Act, two for instrumentation
and two that allow alterations and repairs.

For instruments in the range of $600,000 to $8M, eligible organizations should apply underPAR-09-118. The upper limit for requested
funds under this FOA has been significantly raised.

To renovate or repair core facilities, eligible organizations
should apply underRFA-RR-09-007 . Funds requested under
that FOA can range from $1M to $10M.

To make major alterations and renovations to existing facilities, add to existing facilities, complete uninhabitable
shell space in existing facilities, or construct new
facilities, eligible organizations should apply underthis FOA. Major alterations and
renovations are defined as those that exceed $500,000. Funds requested under
that FOA can range from $2M to $15M.

The NCRR encourages the submission of improvement grant
applications from biomedical research institutions to improve biomedical
research and/or animal facilities. The principal objective of this program is
to facilitate and enhance the conduct of
PHS-supported biomedical and behavioral research by supporting the costs of
designing and improving non-Federal basic and clinical research and animal
facilities to meet the biomedical and/or behavioral research, and research support needs of an institution or a research area at an
institution.

2) Altering/modernizing/constructing space to create facilities that are compliant with Good Laboratory
Practices or Good Manufacturing Practices to foster the translation of basic
research discoveries into clinical studies.

3) Altering/modernizing/constructing space to create
simulation facilities for training health care
providers and researchers. General classroom renovations are not permitted.

4) Altering/modernizing/constructing space to create
facilities to maintain animal colonies for biomedical and behavioral research
such as barrier-type housing facilities.

9) Altering/modernizing/constructing space in animal and
high containment research facilities to provide
appropriate security measures and promote the safety and welfare of research
animals, researchers, and animal care staff.

11) Altering/modernizing/constructing
biomedical and/or animal facilities to enhance the cyberinfrastructure within
the facility such as wiring. Funds will not be provided for servers or other
similar movable equipment.

This list only provides some examples and is not meant to be exhaustive.

The
acquisition and installation of fixed equipment such as casework, fume hoods,
large autoclaves, upgrading HVAC systems for the research areas, cage washers,
animal ventilated racks, static racks, downdraft tables, sterilizing equipment, and other large equipment that are connected to
building structure and services, or biological safety cabinets are allowed.

No
facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or continuation costs will be
awarded. The NIH reserves the right to conduct site
visits when deemed essential. This may include site visits during the
application/proposal evaluation process and/or visits during the project or at
the completion of the project.

Special
notes for High-Technology Equipment: The planning for
and inclusion of new or unique medical and scientific technology, such as
linear accelerators, positron emission tomography, and lithotripsy, may require
special consultants. The design must be developed to reflect the equipment
selection, as well as recommendations and guidance of
the respective manufacturers.

Special
notes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Facilities: The planning, design, and
installation of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system in a facility
requires extreme care to ensure that the magnet is
sufficiently isolated from ferromagnetic and radio frequency influences of the
impacted environment and that the surrounding environment is isolated from the
effects of the magnetic field. Selection of the proper location for the magnet
is extremely important and must be addressed in the
earliest stages of planning and designing the MRI system. The specific guidance
of the manufacturer of the selected equipment must be followed. Consultants
should be used to verify specific requirements.

Green/Sustainable Design

In
keeping with requirements for federally funded facilities, grantees are
encouraged to implement the following listed primary elements of sustainable
design in federally funded facilities. Sustainability is the outcome of an
integrated process of facility development and
operation incorporating a balance of life-cycle cost, environmental impact, and
occupant health and safety, security, and productivity. At minimum, the
following primary elements of sustainable design shall be included in all projects.

1. Integrated design.

2. Commissioning.

3. Optimization of energy performance.

4. Energy efficiency.

5. Measurement and verification.

6. Protection and conservation of water.

7. Indoor water.

8. Outdoor water.

9. Enhancement of indoor environmental
quality.

10. Ventilation and thermal comfort.

11. Moisture control.

12. Day lighting.

13. Low-emitting materials.

14. Protection of indoor air quality during renovation.

15. Reducing the environmental impact of materials.

16. Maximizing recycled and bio-based
content.

17. Construction waste reuse and recycling.

18. Minimizing use of ozone depleting compounds.

In
addition to incorporating the primary elements of improvements and repair
projects, all improvements and repair projects that have a total project cost equal to or greater than $10 million
and/or impacting 40% or more of the overall floor area, must obtain
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) or the Green Building initiative’s
Green Globes System Certification rating system.

The Recovery Act has made $1.0B available for grants or contracts
under section 481A of the Public Health Service Act to construct, repair or
renovate existing non-Federal research facilities. Those funds will be
allocated to awards under this FOA and RFA-RR-09-007.
In addition, the Recovery Act has made $300M available for shared
instrumentation and other capital research equipment. Those funds will be
allocated to equipment requested in this FOA, to equipment requested under the
high end instrumentation program, PAR-09-118,
and to equipment requested under the shared instrument program (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-028.html.

The expected direct cost amount for
individual awards under this FOA is between $2M and $15M.

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from
application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of
each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) provide
support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are
contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient
number of meritorious applications.

Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. The PI must be a highly
placed institutional individual who has responsibility for allocation of space
for biomedical and behavioral research and research training, e.g. Dean, Provost,
Department Head, Center or Institute Director. Individuals from
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with
disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

Number of Applications. An institution is defined as an organization with a separate IPF
code. Each institution is expected to submit no more than three applications
under this FOA. Each application must be distinct.
An institution is not limited to one submission per application date.

Resubmissions.Resubmission applications are not
permitted in response to this FOA.

Renewals. Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

To download a SF424 (R&R) Application
Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424
(R&R) forms for this FOA, use the “Apply for Grant Electronically” button
in this FOA or link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.

A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:

The
individual designated as PD/PI on the application must be registered also in
the NIH eRA Commons.

Each PD/PI must hold a PD/PI account in the Commons. Applicants should not share a Commons account for both an Authorized
Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) role and a
PD/PI role; however, if they have both a PD/PI role and an NIH Internet
Assisted Review (IAR) role, both roles should exist under one Commons account.

This
registration/affiliation must be done by the AOR/SO or his/her designee who is
already registered in the Commons.

Both
the PD/PI and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.

Several
of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more.
Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to
determine whether their organization/institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept
electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all
necessary registrations.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants
must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

Note: Only the forms package directly
attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other
SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although
some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.

Prepare
all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance
with the SF424
(R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

The
SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and
accurate application to NIH. Some fields within the SF424 (R&R) application
components, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the
“Credential” log-in field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Profile” component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID).
Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the
Application Guide. For additional information, see “Frequently Asked Questions
– Application Guide, Electronic
Submission of Grant Applications.”

The
SF424 (R&R) application has several components. Some components are
required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLYincludes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed
application in response to this FOA includes the data in the following
components:

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates Opening Date: April 6, 2009 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)Application Due
Date(s): May 6, 2009 (projects between $2M and $5M); June 17, 2009
(projects between $10M and $15M), July 17, 2009
(projects between $5M and $10M). Peer Review Date(s): June 2009
and October 2009Council Review Date(s): October 2009 and January 2010 Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): December 2009 and April 2010

Applications may be submitted on or after the
opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later
than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the
applicant institution/organization) on the application
due date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application
is not submitted by the due date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in
the review process or not reviewed.

Once an application package has been
successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any errors have been addressed, and
the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the
Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two
weekdays (Monday – Friday, excluding Federal holidays) to view the application
image to determine if any further action is necessary.

If everything is
acceptable, no further action is necessary. The
application will automatically move forward to the Division of Receipt and
Referral in the Center for Scientific Review for processing after two weekdays,
excluding Federal holidays.

Prior to the
submission deadline, the AOR/SO can “Reject” the assembled application and
submit a changed/corrected application within the two-day viewing window.
This option should be used if it is determined that some part of the
application was lost or did not transfer correctly during the submission
process, the AOR/SO will have the option to “Reject” the application and
submit a Changed/Corrected application. In these cases, please contact the eRA Help Desk to
ensure that the issues are addressed and corrected. Once rejected,
applicants should follow the instructions for correcting errors in Section
2.12, including the requirement for cover letters on late applications. The “Reject” feature should also be used if you determine that
warnings are applicable to your application and need to be addressed now.
Remember, warnings do not stop further application processing. If an
application submission results in warnings (but no errors), it will
automatically move forward after two weekdays if no action is taken. Some
warnings may need to be addressed later in the process.

If the two-day window falls after the
submission deadline, the AOR/SO will have the option to “Reject” the
application if, due to an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue, the
application does not correctly reflect the submitted application package (e.g.,
some part of the application was lost or didn’t transfer correctly during the
submission process). The AOR/SO should first contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk to confirm the
system error, document the issue, and determine the best course of action. NIH
will not penalize the applicant for an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue.

If the AOR/SO chooses to “Reject” the image
after the submission deadline for a reason other than an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system failure, a changed/corrected application still can be submitted,
but it will be subject to the NIH late
policy guidelines and may not be accepted. The reason for this delay should
be explained in the cover letter attachment.

Both the AOR/SO and PD/PI will receive
e-mail notifications when the application is rejected or the application
automatically moves forward in the process after two weekdays.

Upon receipt,
applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CSR and responsiveness
by the IC. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt
of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR/SO
receives the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR/SO and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific
Review Group is also in the Commons.

Note:
Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to
check periodically on the application status in the Commons.

The NIH will not accept any application in
response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one
currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending
application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally
submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in
response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application.
That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an
“Introduction” describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must
not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the
application.

All
NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other
considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award
costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior
approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days
before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or renewal
award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project, and 2) would be
allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific
expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain
NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any
costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial
budget period of a new or renewal award.

The
incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing
award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the
amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount
anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH
expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing
against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's
ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in
any way adversely affect the conduct of the project (see theNIH
Grants Policy Statement).

The applicant organization must include its
DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number
must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional
information, see “Frequently Asked Questions – Application Guide, Electronic
Submission of Grant Applications.”

Research
& Related Senior/Key Person Component

Include information about the PI/PD, the
project manager, and any other key persons in this component. Do not include
information about every user of the facility. C06 applications
must specify a Facilities Person in the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile
component or applicant will receive the following error message: “Facilities Person
must be identified for this application.”

Please
provide the information for this person after the PD/PI on the Senior/Key
Person page. Specify a project role of ‘Other’ or ‘Other Professional’, and an
Other Project Role Category of ‘Facilities Person’. The Project Manager for
the Construction/Repair/Renovation project should be given the title of
“Facilities Person”.

Budget
Information for Construction Programs (SF-424C)

You
MUST provide an entry for the Total Estimated Project Funding, Total Federal
and non-Federal Funds (both non-zero), and Estimated
Program Income, all on the SF 424 RR Cover. (If the non-Federal funds are truly
zero, enter $1).

Project
Narrative Sections

Page limitations of the Project Narrative
Sections are
listed below. All attachments
must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no
spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be
used.

PROJECT NARRATIVE(assemble in order shown below): The Project Narrative should include the following sections and
should be submitted in a single PDF attachment. The Specific Aims, Background, and
Improvement Plans are limited to a total of 20 pages.

Begin
each section with a header (e.g., Specific Aims).

Specific Aims: This section must be one page or
less. The Specific Aims should (1) summarize any
request for improvement including the associated square footage and (2) list
all requested equipment.

Background: The Background and Significance section must not exceed
one page. This section should briefly describe the background leading to the present application. State concisely the
importance of this improvement project to biomedical and/or behavioral research
at the institution.

Improvement Plans: The Improvement/Equipment Plan can be
up to 18 pages (or more) as long as the number of
pages in the Specific Aims, Background, and Improvement Plans sections totals
no more than 20 pages. The page limits in this section do NOT include the
requested tables or line drawings.

Significance and Need: Begin with two tables containing (1) active and (2) pending grants (from the NIH and
other sources) that will be affected by the proposed improvement. These tables
should have the following columns: grant title, principal investigator, grant
number, funding source, annual amount of funding,
start and end dates. These tables do not count toward the page limits.

In the case where existing facilities are to be altered or
modernized, describe the current status of the space to be improved (age of the
existing space, deficiencies in the current space,
and number of users). Describe how the requested improvements will correct
these deficiencies and problems. Explain how the proposed improvements will
expand, improve, or maintain existing research and research support
activities. Describe the modifications to the
existing facility to accommodate the proposed functions and the requested
equipment. Future scientific needs that would be accommodated as part of the
improvement also should be described.

In the case where new construction is proposed, describe how the new facilities will expand,
improve, or maintain existing research and research support activities. Future
scientific needs that would be accommodated as part of the new facility also
should be described.

Project Management and Institutional
Commitment: Describe the administrative structure and oversight for
the project. Describe the ongoing institutional commitment to the new or
altered space.

Design Considerations: List in tabular format the size
(dimensions) and square footage of each component
(e.g., room, alcove, cubicle, laboratory etc.) that will be directly affected
by the improvement project.

Engineering Criteria: Provide information about the
mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and utilities in each component. Include information about the number of air changes per hour,
electrical power, light levels, hot and cold water, steam, MEP requirements,
fire protection requirements, biohazard and radiation safety requirements,
chemicals used, major scientific equipment to be
installed including environmental rooms, density of fume hoods, building
population, and number of workstations, security/surveillance and building
automation systems.

Architectural Criteria: Provide architectural criteria such as
the width of corridors and doors and surface
finishes. Architectural criteria should also address quality of life issues
(e.g. natural lighting, noise, vibration), a planning module (laboratory
neighborhood concepts, central support core concepts, material management), and planning concepts and functional relationships and
zoning of the area to be improved. Sufficient information must be provided to
allow the evaluation of plans for BSL-3/ABSL-3 designs, animal facility
designs, and designs for clinical facilities.

Line Drawings: Include floor plans for the
improvement. The line drawings must fit on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper. Do
not submit blueprints. All floor plans must be legible with the scale clearly
indicated. The floor plans must indicate the location of equipment and illustrate safety clearances and workspace. If
applicable, submit both existing and proposed drawings. The drawings should
indicate size dimensions, function, and the net and gross square feet for each
room. The total net and gross square feet of space
to be improved should also be given. The plan should indicate the location of
the proposed construction/renovation area in the existing building. Changes or
additions to existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems should be
clearly described in notes made directly on the plan
or attached to the plan. The line drawings must indicate egress routes. The
drawings must indicate the functional layout of the proposed facility showing
the location of entries and exits, clearances, and the location of fixed equipment. The line drawings do not count
toward the page limits. Note that applications over 40 pages
(including Tables and Line Drawings) will receive the following warning (but
not an error): The Program Narrative (Other Project
Information, Project Narrative attachment) is limited to 40 pages.

Equipment: List and justify all fixed equipment. Equipment should
be relevant and should serve an identified user group. Information such as the
manufacturer, model number, size, capacity, total cost,
and location in the facility should be included.

Project Timeline: Showplans to complete the project within
three years following the approval of designs.

OTHER
ATTACHMENTSIn the Other Attachments section, include
the following, each as a separate attachment. NOTE:
Each attachment must be given a file name using the headings below (e.g.,
Environmental_Analysis_Form).

(2)
Budget Justification and Vendor Quotes: The next attachment should be all
vendor quotes and the budget justification. A justification must be provided
for each piece of equipment.

(3)
Certification of Title to Site: Applicants must
include a legal opinion describing the interest the applicant has in the
performance site. The legal opinion should describe any mortgages or other
foreclosable liens on the property, including the principal amount of the mortgage (and rate of interest); the dates of the mortgage;
the terms and conditions of repayment; the appraised value of the property; and
any provisions designed to protect the Federal interest in the property. The
facility must be utilized for biomedical or
behavioral research purposes for which it was improved for at least 10 years
beginning on the date of beneficial occupancy of the space. Any lease agreement
must cover a time period sufficient for the usage requirement and be a minimum
of 10 years in length from the completion of the
facility.

(4)
Documents associated with the Executive Order 12372, if applicable.

(5)
Applicants must include an estimate of the number of American jobs that are
expected to be created or maintained by this project. In this document, applicants must also briefly summarize their
plans to implement green/sustainable design principals.

The
following documents are likely to be useful when responding to this FOA.

All application instructions outlined in
the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating
"Just-in-Time" information concepts, and with the following
additional requirements:

Appendix
Materials

This FOA does not allow appendix material. Additional
supplementary material will not be accepted after the receipt of the
application.

Resource Sharing
Plan(s)

Not applicable to
the C06 mechanism.

Section V. Application Review Information

1.
Criteria

Only the review criteria described below
will be considered in the review process.

2.
Review and Selection Process

Applications
that are complete and responsive to this FOA will
be evaluated for
scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NCRRand
in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/),
using the review criteria stated below.

As part of the scientific peer review, all
applications will:

Undergo a selection process in which
only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and
technical merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will
be discussed and assigned an overall impact/priority score;

Receive a written critique; and

Receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Research Resources
Council.

Applications submitted in response to this
FOA will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications
submitted in response to this FOA. The following will
be considered in making funding decisions:

Scientific merit of the proposed
project as determined by peer review.

Availability of funds.

Relevance of the proposed project to
program priorities.

Geographic distribution
of awards

Priorities specified in the Recovery Act such as energy
efficient building and job creation

The mission
of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and
behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life
and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this
mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements
to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and
technical merit through the NIH peer review system. Applications will
receive an overall impact/priority score based, among other pertinent factors,
including those below, on the following criteria: “(1) The scientific merit of
the total program and its component parts to be carried out in the facility;
(2) The administrative and leadership capabilities of the applicant's officers
and staff;(3) The organization of the applicant's research program and its
relationship with the applicant's overall research programs; (4) The
anticipated effect of the project on other relevant research programs and
facilities in the geographic area, and nationwide; (5) The need for the project
or additional space; and (6) The project cost and design.

Overall
Impact. Reviewers will provide an overall
impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the
project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the institution involved.
Reviewers will consider the criteria listed below. Major strengths and
weaknesses will be summarized based on these criteria.

Significance
and Need. Is there
sufficient justification for improving this facility? To what extent will the
proposed change in the research environment facilitate the applicant institution’s ability to conduct, expand, improve, or maintain
biomedical or behavioral research? Is the administrative approach to managing
the facility appropriate? Does the proposed improvement increase efficiency in
the use of energy, water, or materials to reduce
adverse impacts on the environment?

Project
Management and Institutional Commitment.Does
the PI have the scientific and fiscal administration skills necessary to
complete this project on time and within budget? Are the administrative management and oversight of the project
adequate? Does the project manager(s) have the appropriate experience and
background suited to the proposed project? Is the institution committed to
using the improved space for biomedical or behavioral
research? Has the institution provided evidence that it will be able to
provide the resources to complete this project on time and within budget?

Design
Considerations. Does the plan
indicate the proposed construction/renovation area, including associated room adjacencies, traffic patterns for the
movement of people, animals, and materials (clean and dirty) through the
facility, relative location of needed ancillary areas (e.g. changing rooms for
animal facilities)? Are the total net and gross square
feet of space to be improved provided? Does the design implement
green/sustainable design principals? Are potential problems, alternative
strategies, and benchmarks for success presented?

Engineering
Criteria: Do the engineering criteria include information
about the mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and utilities in the construction/renovation?
Are the number of air changes per hour, electrical power, light levels, hot and
cold water, and steam appropriate for the project?

Architectural Criteria: Are the architectural criteria such as the width of
corridors and doors and surface finishes appropriate for the project?

Line Drawings: Is
the function of the space indicated? Do the line drawings indicate the size
dimensions, function, and net and gross square feet
for each component? Are the line drawings at a scale adequate to explain the
project? Do the plans indicate the changes to be made to the space? Are
changes or additions to existing mechanical and electrical systems clearly described and adequate to the project? Are the line drawings
drawn to scale to indicate adjacencies and operational relationships of
equipment? Is the location of major equipment, fume hoods, sinks, showers, and
other major items indicated in the drawings? Are
areas to be demolished indicated?

Timeline: Are the
proposed timeline and sequence for improvement reasonable?

Equipment. Are
requests for equipment justified? Will the requested equipment serve an
identified user group? Is the location of the equipment
indicated in the line drawings?

Environment. Is the project design, materials, construction approaches
or requested equipment consistent with green/sustainable principles? Is
sustainability an integrated process of facility development and operation incorporating a balance of life-cycle cost, environmental
impact, and occupant health and safety, security, and productivity? Does the
project meet the minimum requirements of sustainability listed under the
Research Objectives section of this FOA?

Additional
Review Criteria. As applicable for the project proposed,
reviewers will consider the following
additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, but
will not give separate scores for these items.

Biohazards.
Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially
hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed,
determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Additional
Review Considerations. As applicable for the project proposed,
reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores
for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority
score.

Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget, vendor
quotes, and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable
in relation to the proposed project.

3.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Not Applicable

Section
VI. Award Administration Information

1.
Award Notices

After
the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to
access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA Commons.

A
formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to
the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is
the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have
been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the
awarding component to the grantee business official.

The
terms of the NoA will reference the requirements of the Recovery Act.

In
addition to the standard NIH terms of award, all funding provided under the
Recovery Act will be subject to the HHS Standard Terms
and Conditions for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The full text of these terms approved for NIH awards can be found in the
following document: Standard
Terms and Conditions for AARA Awards.

The
resource sharing plan will become part of the terms and conditions of the
award.

Selection of an application for award is
not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of
the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the
extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Section
IV.5., “Funding Restrictions.”

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

This FOA requires all funds to be obligated within three
years after the design phase is concluded or no later than June 30 of the 5th year after the award is issued.

Applicants must make a
public disclosure of the project by publication and describe its environmental
impact at the time the SPOC is notified. It is suggested that the notice be
published in a large-circulation newspaper in the area. This public disclosure
is required by Section 102 of the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 and by Federal Executive Order 11514.

In
particular, the Public Policy Requirements for
Construction Awards set forth in the NIH Grants Policy Statement apply to all awards under this FOA. Those
requirements include but are not limited to:

1.
Elimination of Architectural Barriers to the Handicapped: The Architectural
Barriers Act of 1968, as amended, the Federal Property Management Regulations
101-19.6 (41 CFR 101-19.6), and the Uniform Federal Accessibility
Standards issued by the General Services Administration (41 CFR 101-19.6,
Appendix A) set forth requirements to make facilities accessible to, and usable
by, the physically handicapped and include minimum design standards. All new
facilities constructed with NIH grant support must comply with these
requirements.

2.
Historic Properties/Archaeological Sites: under the
provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, and the
Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1960, as amended, the
Secretary of the Interior has compiled a National Register of Historic
Places—sites and buildings of significant importance to U.S. history. The
statutes require that, before approval of a construction grant application (or
other applications as specified by NIH), NIH take into account the effect on
these sites of the proposed construction (or other) project. The applicant must
determine whether activities using NIH financial assistance will affect a
property listed in the National Register. If a designated historic property
will be affected, the applicant must obtain clearance from the appropriate
State Historic Preservation Office before submitting the application. Failure
to obtain this clearance will delay NIH action on an application.

3.
National Environmental Policy Act (including Public Disclosure): The NIH shall
determine the amount of review, if any, required under NEPA to assess the
potential environmental impacts of the actions taken under the grant. If NEPA applies, the application must be
accompanied by the applicant’s own separately bound environmental analysis to
facilitate review and evaluation for environmental concerns before approval or other action on the application. The NIH shall
inform the grantee what additional reviews, if any, are required.

4.
Flood Insurance: The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended (Public
Law 93-234), provides that no Federal financial
assistance to acquire, modernize, or construct property may be provided in
identified flood-prone communities in the United States, unless the community
participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and flood insurance is
purchased within 1 year of the identification. The flood
insurance purchase requirement applies to both public and private applicants
for NIH support.

5.
Clean Air and Clean Water Act: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et
seq. and EO 11738 provide for the protection and
enhancement of the quality of the nation’s air
resources to promote public health and welfare and for restoring and
maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s
waters.

6.
Safe Drinking Water Act: 42 U.S.C. 300h-3 provides for the protection of underground sources of drinking water that have an
aquifer, which is the sole source of drinking water. Specifically, no grant may
be entered into for any project that the EPA Administrator determines may
contaminate such aquifer.

Immediately
upon completion of the improvement, the grantee
shall, at a minimum, provide the same type of insurance coverage as it
maintains for other property it owns, consistent with the minimum coverage
specified in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3.
Reporting

The funds to
support this FOA have been made available under the Recovery Act. Grantees
must comply with the requirements set forth in the Recovery Act, including, but
not limited to, the reporting requirements described in Section 1512 of the
Recovery Act, as well as applicable OMB guidance regarding the use of Recovery
Act funds.

To
protect the Federal interest in real property that has undergone major
improvement with the use of NIH grant funds, grantees shall record a Notice of
Federal Interest (NFI) in the appropriate official
records of the jurisdiction in which the property is located. The time of
recordation shall be when improvement begins. Fees charged for recording the
NFI may be charged to the grant.

An
annual progress report is required for the 10 years
of Federal interest in the facility as a condition of the award and must
include a list of publications "originating from the use" of this
project facility. This list should be limited to those scientific papers
acknowledging NCRR support including grant numbers.
Failure to comply with the 10-year utilization requirement will result in
recovery of the Federal Share of funds used to improved the facility in
accordance with Title VIII of the Recovery Act and 45 CFR 74.32.

A
final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are
required when an award is relinquished or when an award is terminated.

In addition, grantees must comply with the requirements set forth
in the Recovery Act, including, but not limited to, the quarterly reporting
requirements of Section 1512 of the Recovery Act as specified in HHS Standard
Terms and Conditions for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The full text of these terms approved for NIH awards can be found at the
following document: Standard
Terms and Conditions for AARA Awards.

Recovery
Act-related reporting requirements will be incorporated as a special term of
award.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We
encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the
opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall
into three areas: scientific/research (program), peer review, and financial or
grants management issues:

NIH Public Access Policy
Requirement:
In
accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy, investigators
funded by the NIH must submit or have submitted for them to the National
Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed
manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no
later than 12 months after the official date of publication. The
NIH Public Access Policy is available at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html).For more
information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.

URLs in NIH Grant Applications or
Appendices:

All applications and proposals
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses
(URLs) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used
for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible
on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication
that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference
in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report
Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant
application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be repeated
in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the number of
URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.

Healthy People 2010:

The PHS
is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives
of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting
priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

Authority and Regulations:

This FOA is issued under the Recovery Act, Pub. L. No. 111-5.

This
program is subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372. All awards are subject to the terms and
conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement, and to the Departmental regulations at 42 CFR Part 52b and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.

The National Center for Research Resources
(NCRR) is authorized under Sections 481A of the Public Health Services Act, as
amended by Sections 303 and 304 of Public Law (PL) 106-505, to make grants or
contracts to public and nonprofit private entities to
expand, remodel, renovate, or alter existing research and/or animal facilities.

Any
awards resulting from this FOA will be subject, as applicable, to the provisions of the
Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. Secs 276a to 276a-7).

The
PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace
and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law
103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities
(or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine
education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development
services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to
protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

Loan Repayment Programs:NIH
encourages applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health
professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving
clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related
areas. The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain
the next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a
research career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH
grant is not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP
applications are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may
overlap providing the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and
effort, as LRP awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20
hours per week based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For
further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.